Biden administration official says trans kids in school sports is ‘complicated’
"There is no 'yes or no' answer to this."
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre President has referred to the discourse around whether trans kids and school sports as “complicated.”
The Biden administration official made the remark during a briefing at the White House on Tuesday (29 August) in response to a question about fairness in sports.
“It is a complicated issue,” she said. “It is truly a complicated issue, with a wide range of views. There is no ‘yes or no’ answer to this, it is complicated.”
“A complicated issue with a wide range of views”
She referred to a rule from the Department of Education that prevents a categoric ban on trans kids playing in school sports that match their gender identity. It doesn’t completely prevent schools from stopping trans children though.
“We’re going to let that process move forward,” Jean-Pierre continued. “We want to make sure that while we establish guardrails with this rule, that we also prevent discrimination, as well, against transgender kids.
“But again, a complicated issue with a wide range of views, and we respect that.”
The subject of trans kids playing in school sports has raged, especially in the US, for some time. Multiple states, like Texas, have introduced and passed specific legislation to stop trans children playing in school sports teams that correspond with their gender identity.
Since coming into power after the 2020 election, President Biden’s government has been on the side of LGBTQ rights.
On the first day of his presidency, Biden signed an executive order proclaiming “Every person should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear, no matter who they are or whom they love.”
Days later he reversed Donald Trump’s ban on trans people in the military. In the time since he’s appointed queer people to senior roles, signed gay marriage into law in the US, and called out against anti-LGBTQ legislation among other things.
Karine Jean-Pierre made history in 2022 when she became the first Black and openly LGBTQ person to take on the role of the White House’s press secretary.